Getting Into D&D 5e Adventures

The adventuring party chose the Axeholm Quest at the end of their last adventure.  This quest has one of the larger areas and included a multi-level fortress.

I ended up using my go-to process of wrapping paper and markers to make the battle map for the game.

I started with level 1 of the fortress.  I like to make hash-marks to indicate dead space in the dungeons, but I started to regret this process toward the end…so…many…hash-marks…

I was limited to my wrapping paper width and ended up having to make some of the rooms smaller than the maps found in the Dragon of Icespire Peak book.

I placed wrapping paper over level 1 so I’d be able to match up all the locations as I drew level 2.

I prepared the table for the game by laying out level 1 of Axeholm and covering the unrevealed locations with paper.

A new player was going to join us for this game and I decided that the group should have a small combat to kick off the quest.  The adventures have to travel past the location of their first quest, Umbrage Hill, and I decided that the Manticore would make a great combat for everyone (and also highlight how much more powerful they are at their new levels).  I placed a blank battle-map I was gifted over the fortress map to play out this combat.

I finished up my DM notes before the game.  I wrote in an introduction for the new player and decided to add a side quest for the henchmen so they wouldn’t be available.  This was to encourage the party to welcome in the help.

My DM Notes are below if you’d like to read them.

• Introducing XXX’s Character
  • In your travels you come upon a group of adventurerers, they appear about as experienced as you are. They are a Human Wizard, Dwarven Cleric, Elf Fighter, and a Warforged Paladin.
  • They light up when they hear you’ll be traveling toward Phandalin. They have a message that needs delivered to an adventuring group that is in that area. They asked this group to help the people deal with a white dragon in the area while they investigated problems in the north.
  • They need a letter delivered from their patron, a Bronze Dragon that presides over Stormwreck Isle.
    • The letter is to inform them that the sea elves have heard rumor that one of their people, Mirral, had died. Prior to the Mirral’s death they heard it had created a magical hat for a giant crab. They would like to know what happened to Mirral and hope the giant crab and tell them the story. Runara would like this Giant Crab to come to Stormwreck and meet with these elves. The sea elves have also noticed an increase in storms along the Sword Coast and think this story may help them in their investigation.
    • The letter provides a location for the Giant Crab to go so he can get to Stormwreck Isle
  • Provide XXX with a choice of magical items + 100 gp
  • While traveling the High Road you hear rumors of a Red Demon near an old lighhouse.
• Adventurers Preparing for the Quest
  • • Introduce XXX’s Character to the group, and share the letter contents
    • Captain Pinchy would like an escort by the Squire (incentivise the players to have the new player instead of extra henchmen join the mission)
  • Gathering Rumors:
    • A red demon was spotted by the high road near the Tower of Storms
    • Dwarves from Excavation Site
      • Had been exploring the area after learning about Axeholm through some of the notes and information they learned from the Temple of Abbathor
      • Fled the area when they saw the Dragon approaching
      • The Dwarves fled Axeholm over 100 years ago. They found a letter associated with the Fort.
        • The letter was from an elf, Vyldara, a Moon Elf Ambassador that failed to prevent unrest between dwarven peoples. She was imprisoned by Axeholms Castellan and the followers of Mordian, a dwarven god of creation. They suspected she was in league with the other dwarves of the area, worshippers of Abbathor, the dwarves from the excavation site
        • She overheard the dwarves planning a banquet in the name of peace with he worshippers of Abbathor, but the Castellan was planning on poisoning the High Priest of Abbathor, vile acts that filled her with anger.
        • She mentioned the Castellan became paranoid and began gathering precious items in his room to hide somewhere in the fortress.
        • Other evidence points to a betrayal by the worshippers of Abbathor, where they would feign a desire for peace only to attack the the dwarves of Axeholm when the banquet began. After the betrayal, many of the dwarven guards feld, others stayed behind an locked the entrance in defiance of their bretheren. Letting their rage consume them.
        • They believe a final battle between the Mordiaran and Abbador followers occurred on what is now Umberage Hill
          • They’d like to travel with the group through Umberage hill and back to axeholm to investigate the site after the adventureres clear the location
• Travel through Umberage
  • As you approach the familiar area umberage hill, you see the familiar site of cairnes and greenery. You can hear the creeking of the windmill in the distance.
  • The Manticore has made a lair of the Windmill, do the characters notice the Manticore peaking out behind the ruins of the house and wind mill
  • The Manticore begins flying toward the group to attack (no surprise for either group)
• Arrival at Axeholm (read description pg 12)
  • The dwarves park their cart outside the fortress and will not enter until the site had been cleared.
  • A4: Mustering Hall: pg 13: Bodies of dwarves dressed in white and steel studded leather among bodies of dwarves dressed in the familiar red leather with gold studs of the Abbathor followers from the Dwarven Excavation
  • A15: Dining room pg 14: A single dwarf, long dead, skin dried, and pulled tight, a long grey beard and hair, in an extravagant suit of gold studded armor, sits at the head of the table, a shard of golden axe in his skull.
  • A14: Throne Room: The greater Ghoul holds a broken golden axe strapped to his wrist
  • A27 Banshees Bedchamber: searching you find a finely crafted writing set of elven make. Additoinal letters and notes appear to be written in an elvish code
  • Other locations as written in the module
• After completing the adventure (killing or driving out the monsters)
  • Uneventful heading back
  • Townmanster Wester’s house: His ½ brother is standing outside speaking through the door. He bows and steps back when he sees you approach.
    • Harbin Wester slides single coins from under the door for the group and asks them to post two more quests on the job board.
• Next Adventureres
  • Mountain’s Toe Gold Mine
  • Dragon Barrow
  • Woodland Manse